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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26540185">Death's Obsession with Peter Parker</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorkyriebabes/pseuds/Thorkyriebabes'>Thorkyriebabes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>MJ is Death verse (idk I’ll come up w a better name for this series later) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, MCD warning bc of the whole dusting thing, MJ is Death, Resurrection, Soul Stone, Soulmates, THESE ARE SPOILERS, That's it, but chapter 5 kind of touches on it, but not really bc this follows the mcu closely, dying, it'll get a bit more clear why that's tagged towards the end, kind of, technically, thats the fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:53:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,924</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26540185</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorkyriebabes/pseuds/Thorkyriebabes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Excerpt:<br/>The venom from the bite is slowly killing him. It was a tiny spider, but it was genetically modified- humans messing around with nature again. Death, of course, is an inevitable fate for all humans. But as she hovers over him, while he twists and turns this night, Death cannot bring herself to take him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Michelle Jones/Peter Parker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>MJ is Death verse (idk I’ll come up w a better name for this series later) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1984666</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Civil War - Homecoming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There is a boy. His name is Peter Parker, and he is dying. Reacting to a bite from a spider, obtained on an unfortunate field trip for school. The venom from the bite is slowly killing him. It was a tiny spider, but it was genetically modified- humans messing around with nature again. Death, of course, is an inevitable fate for all humans. But as she hovers over him, while he twists and turns this night, Death cannot bring herself to take him. She knows that it is his time, yet, instead of reaping him, she lays down, cradling him in her arms, and soothes him. She finds herself in a material, humanoid form, one she hasn’t taken ever before. Sighing with her new lungs, she gently brushes her fingers over his forehead, willing him into a peaceful sleep. Death gifts him life, if just for a little while longer.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Yet, it seems she is not able to leave him. Not really. Yes, she continues to take other souls all over the universe, yet her focus remains singly on this boy. Somehow, surviving the spider bite has granted him incredible abilities. It is fascinating to watch. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Death’s fascination comes to bite her in her metaphysical ass. She finds herself corporeal enough for humans to begin seeing her, when she follows him through the streets of New York City. A woman even asks her for directions to the nearest pharmacy. And, most surprisingly, she is forced to enroll in human high school. Humiliating. She is a universal force, yet she has to follow a dress code. Oh, don’t worry. Although her point of focus is corporeal, she’s still doing her job and acting as a natural force. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Going to high school means that she gets to watch Peter more and more from the sidelines. It means that she has to have a human name, too. She chooses the name Michelle when she registers. Michelle Jones. It fits her. And so, as Peter stumbles through his freshman year of high school, Michelle stumbles through her first year being in a human form. She develops a small sense of humor, a talent for art, and a group of acquaintances on the academic decathlon team. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It isn’t all fun, though. Michelle is forced to take away Peter’s uncle a little while into the semester- apparently, it’s a lot harder to save someone from a gunshot wound than it is to save someone from a spider. Especially when your point of focus is corporeal, and unable to shift to the point in space and time where Ben Parker dies. And if Death could have spared Peter the pain of losing his uncle, she would have. She doesn’t want this kid to be in pain. He’s nice, funny, respectful… everything that a person should be. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Over time, Michelle finds herself growing into a substantially </span>
  <em>
    <span>human</span>
  </em>
  <span> personality and body. She develops feelings, emotions…. a menstrual cycle. Yeah, that’s not fun. But although her personality changes, and although her body becomes her isolated point of focus, she remains a natural force in the universe. She does her job, maintains balance, and manages to get through her first year of high school with a perfect GPA. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And while she’s busy learning to be human, Peter starts venturing into the life of a vigilante. He even gets recruited by Tony Stark, the so-called “Merchant of Death.” Not that she would ever let him sell her. And when Peter returns from Germany, he has a fancy new Spiderman suit. Which, of course, makes him just that much more bold over the rest of the summer, making her new job of keeping him alive that much harder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow, though, he doesn’t get into any major, life-threatening trouble for the rest of the summer. School resumes, and, when she selects her seat for lunch the first day back, Michelle finds herself down the table from him and his friend, Ned. Michelle sits closer each day, until one day, she overhears (or maybe eavesdrops on) a conversation they’re having about Liz Toomes. Liz Toomes is gorgeous. And if Michelle were a real human, she’d have a crush on Liz Toomes too, probably. Still, something about Peter’s crush on her makes Michelle </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel.</span>
  </em>
  <span> And Death is not supposed to have emotions.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Did Liz get a new top?” Peter asks his friend, leaning his head on his hand with a dreamy look in his eyes as he watches Liz hang up the homecoming sign. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, we’ve seen that before, but never with that skirt,” Ned informs him, doing the same head in hand thing, but sans the dreamy look.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We should probably stop staring before it gets creepy though,” Peter realizes, out loud. Yeah, dork, duh.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Too late,” Michelle interjects, from her place down the table from them, “you guys are losers,” she adds, then turns back to her book.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then why do you sit with us?” Ned asks her, looking over, confused. Because she’s watching over Peter. You know, since she’s stuck in a human body because of him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Cause I don’t have any friends,” Michelle lies and rolls her eyes, going back to her book </span>
  <em>
    <span>again. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, Peter decides to skip nationals for AcaDec. Okay, so he’s obsessed with figuring out where these really nasty alien weapons he stumbled across came from. Michelle really shouldn’t care, but she can’t help but be disappointed. And really, really worried. He’s putting his life at risk again! Pesky human feelings. And of course, when he tells the team, she accidentally lets on that she’s been watching him a little too much when she tells the team that he quit band. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Michelle finds herself at Flash’s party a few days later, and as she’s putting peanut butter on her toast, she informs Peter and Ned that she “can’t believe you guys are at this lame party.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So are you?” Ned asks, confused. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Am I?” No, she’s not. She’s everywhere. All the time. But it’s fair that Ned assumes that she’s here because her body is here. Still, it’s fun messing with him. And the confused looks on their faces are… cute. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Well, Peter has another semi-near Death encounter that night. Not that he was actually going to die, because Stark’s suit pulls him out of the water, and gives him a lecture. A big, scary dude with giant metal wings dropped him into a lake. Hm. Metal wings. Maybe Michelle should borrow that concept. She’d look badass with some wings on halloween.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter decides he’s going to join them in Washington after all. Well, at least, he’s going to use the trip as a way to track down the guy with metal wings that’s been making weapons out of alien tech. He ends up skipping Nationals, of course, but they win anyways. And he did rescue all of her friends from falling too soon into her grasp in an elevator crash. Huh. She has friends. That’s new. Anyways, he gets a pass for skipping nationals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, trouble finds Peter again, in the form of getting a ferry sliced in half. A weapons deal gone bad- and he can’t even hold it together without Iron Man’s help. Man, Peter’s really got a tough life. And it gets even tougher when Stark takes away his suit. Because, the thing is, Peter isn’t the kind of guy that just gives up. He made his first suit, web fluid, and webshooters all on his own. He’s incredibly smart and committed to what he’s passionate about. And right now, it seems his passion is crime-fighting.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Peter gets up the guts to ask Liz to homecoming, Michelle is very, very surprised. In a good way, she tells herself, biting down the jealousy that eats at her. She’s not even human, she shouldn’t have to worry about dumb things like boys or crushes. It’s good for Peter to experience the wonders of first love. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Scratch that. Liz’s dad is insane. MJ flips Peter off at homecoming, when she sees him, because she knows he’s about to ditch his date to fight her dad. Which is really fucked up, when you think about it. MJ feels bad for him. She does. But she feels worse for Liz. Having a dad that fucked up? It must really suck. And, well. That’s new. The whole empathy thing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But while she’s busy empathizing, her body disappears from the dance. Peter is dying again. Of course her focus gets shifted enough for her to reappear next to him, trapped under a collapsed building. But he cannot die now. Not while he has such a bright future ahead. So, Michelle lifts the blocks off of him with him, helping him find the strength to finish what he’s started with Liz’s dad. Miraculously, he makes it back to his apartment and survives the whole ordeal without her having to intervene again.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Later, when Liz moves away, Michelle’s promoted to captain of the academic decathlon team. She tells her team that her friends call her MJ. Then, she texts Liz, asking for guidance. When Peter tries to skip out on the meeting, she decides to tease him, questioning him with “Where are you going? What are you hiding, Peter?” At Peter’s sputtering, she laughs, shaking her head. “Nah, I’m just messing with you. See you later, loser.”</span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Before Infinity War - Part One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Peter and MJ run the mile together at school. Also, MJ asks him out on an ice cream date. It's cute and short.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Somehow, Peter gets his suit back. She doesn’t really question it, or look too far into it. She guesses it has something to do with his internship. You know, the one that he’s actually doing now. She knows this because every Tuesday and Thursday after homecoming, Happy has  picked Peter up from school and taken him to the Avengers compound upstate. The work experience will look fantastic on Peter’s college applications. </p><p>Death really shouldn’t have to worry about college applications- really, going to a university is a trivial matter. Yet- MJ is still worried about getting into the right schools. She’s not quite sure why, it’s such a human thing to worry about. But, then again, many of her worries are human worries, now. She worries about how she looks, who her friends are, what her grades are, what she’s going to do for practice for decathlon, and so many more trivial human things. Trivial, human things like her massive crush on Peter Parker. </p><p>She should have seen it coming, really. MJ spends all her time watching over him, her punishment for keeping him alive. And, well, her body is very human. And Peter’s body is, well, ripped. So, she really shouldn’t be surprised that she finds herself staring with all the other male-attracted humans during PE a few weeks after homecoming, when he forgets the pullover he usually wears to disguise his bulk. Realistically, MJ knew that he had this amazing muscle structure, because she’s seen him in his Spiderman suit. It doesn’t really leave much to the imagination, besides his facial structure. </p><p>They’re supposed to be running the mile today. Ew. First of all, running is dumb. And annoying. But, despite the hatred she has for the mile, she still finds that she has to force herself to slow down, keeping pace a few yards behind Peter. But, somehow, the dork figures out that she’s using him to keep pace, and he slows down to jog next to her. </p><p>“Hey, MJ! What’s up?” Peter asks her, as if he’s an enthusiastic puppy trying to get her attention. “Wow, you’re pretty fast,” he comments. He seems like he wants to ask her another question, but he’s having trouble getting up the guts.</p><p>“Not much, just thinking about all the ways to get out of doing this ever again,” MJ shrugs, looking over at him. “Um, are you busy after Decathlon today?”</p><p>“Um, well, I was going to go do some things for my internship,” Peter lies, nervously. See, the issue is, today isn’t a Tuesday or a Thursday, so she knows he’s not going to the compound, which means he’d been planning on going on patrol. “But I can put it off until later?”</p><p>“Do you maybe want to get like, ice cream or something after decathlon?” MJ asks, as they slow down a bit more, distracted by talking to each other. Okay, MJ, where did this sudden confidence come from?</p><p>“Um, like, as a group?” Peter asks, confused. </p><p>“No, uh, I was thinking it would be just us? Unless you’re not comfortable with that?” </p><p>“Oh! Um, yeah, sure! That sounds fun, MJ,” Peter nods, smiling at her. God, he’s cute. And sweaty, which should gross her out, but it just makes him more appealing. Goddamn it, MJ. </p><p>They’re the first two to finish the mile, and when they do, MJ is pleasantly surprised that he slows down when she does, to walk with her. “So, um, speaking of your internship, how’s that going?” </p><p>“Well, I’ve been working with Mr. Stark on some really cool projects. Like, we just finished a prototype for a car powered by an arc reactor? Working with him is so cool MJ,” Peter grins at her, launching into an explanation of how the car works. </p><p>Okay, so, instead of being boring as hell, Peter’s explanation is actually really, really interesting. MJ can’t help but listen the entire time, asking questions about this and that. When the back of her hand brushes the back of his while they walk, her stomach does a flip. Of course, MJ is so focused on paying attention to him that she doesn’t pay attention to the ground in front of her. But before she faceplants when she trips over a rogue backpack, Peter catches her, laughing. “Woah, MJ,” he comments, smiling at her. “You okay?” he checks, his arm lingering around her waist. </p><p>Now, normally MJ would shrug him off, but right now, she’s really flustered. “I- uh- I’m fine, I think?” Well, she would be, if his hand wasn’t resting on her waist, smoothing down her t-shirt, making it hard for her to actually think about anything other than how quickly he’d caught her and yeah, that's appealing.</p><p>“Do you want to sit down?” Peter offers, walking her over to the seating and helping her sit, looking all concerned and- yeah. MJ’s completely gone on him. </p><p>And then he sits down next to her and nervously combs his fingers through his hair, and MJ’s gaze follows them, wishing it was her hand smoothing down his curls. “I um, thank you. Sorry, I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was walking.”</p><p>“I kind of figured,” Peter chuckles, giving her a friendly smile while he teases her. MJ’s heart is still racing, even though by now she’s had plenty of time to cool down from their short run. Peter actually looks mildly concerned, and asks her, “Um, are you feeling alright, MJ? Your heart is kinda beating really fast?”</p><p>“How do you know my heart is beating fast, Peter?” MJ raises her eyebrows at him, turning so she can face him more easily.</p><p>“I- uh- I…” Peter trails off, looking sheepish. Poor guy, she has no idea how he’s kept being Spiderman a secret for so long. “I guessed?” he attempts to lie. It’s adorable, really.</p><p>“It’s alright, Peter,” MJ shrugs. “You don’t have to tell me.” He'll tell her eventually, anyways.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry to end it so abruptly- but oh my god, they're about to start dating! well, sort of. They're probably going to date, but not make it official, but everyone except them is going to know that they're dating anyways.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The long-awaited (not really) ice cream date</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
  <span>A few hours later, they’re walking together from school to the ice cream shop nearby, and Peter seems nervous. MJ’s definitely nervous, considering that her hands are a little shaky. “Um, if you’re worried about paying for yours-” she starts, trying to quell his nerves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“No- no,” Peter shakes his head, his hand brushing against hers as they walk, like he’s trying to get up the nerves to hold her hand. “My internship is paid, so, um, I’ll be fine.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Oh, good. A paid internship is pretty hard to get in high school, that’s pretty impressive,” MJ compliments him, her pinky hooking around his. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Actually, I wanted to ask you to help me with the design for my new project? You know, since you’re really good at art and that kind of stuff?” Peter asks her, blushing furiously as he gets the courage to actually interlace their fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>MJ’s stomach does a little flip-flop at how warm his hand is. And at how he thought of her to ask for design help. “Um, sure,” MJ smiles down at him, again forgetting to watch what’s ahead of her in favor of getting distracted by watching him. It’s an issue, because she still isn’t used to having a body to maneuver when she watches people. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Peter’s heart is racing nearly as fast as her’s is. Maybe faster, actually. She can feel his nerves, echoing her own. She really, really doesn’t want to mess this up. “Um, maybe we could work on it together? On Thursday?” Peter asks, after a few moments of trying to get up the nerves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Thursday sounds great,” MJ nods, then pauses, “but don’t you normally go upstate on Thursdays?” She asks, forgetting that knowing his schedule might come across as creepy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>However, to Peter, it doesn’t. He seems oddly charmed by it when he nods, confirming it with, “yeah, I’d have Happy pick up both of us? Would that be okay with your parents? There are plenty of guest rooms, and, um, we’d get up early to make it back for school on time?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>MJ tilts her head, pretending to consider it. Well, she supposes she could ask the other three Cosmic Entities, Entropy, Infinity, and Eternity. But they likely wouldn’t care. Or wouldn’t approve of her obsession over this human. No, better to be honest, lying won’t go over well- eventually, he’ll want to meet her parents, if she pretends to have them. “I um- I don’t have anyone like that,” MJ shakes her head. “I’m emancipated,” she explains, at his confused look. “I live on my own.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Oh, um,” Peter bites his lip, clearly trying to decide if he should spare any pity for her, but he makes the right choice and says, “Okay, then I’ll let Happy know you’re coming with us,” smiling at her. “Sound like a plan?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     After a moment, MJ nods, smiling at him softly as they enter the ice cream shop. After picking out their flavors, MJ sits down with him, checking to see what he got. Blueberry cobbler and cake batter. Okay, respectable. MJ got Cookies N Cream, so she’s pretty happy with her decision. “Um, so I’ll need an overnight bag?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “Yeah, um, just the basics. The beds in the guest rooms are ridiculously comfortable, so you don’t need to bring any bedding or anything,” he reassures her, nervously. “Um, if you want, you could come up tomorrow night too? I said Thursday cause I wanted to give you enough time to ask your pa-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     MJ cuts him off, before he can finish his sentence. “I’d love to. Sounds great,” she nods, smiling at him softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     Peter opens his mouth, then closes it, shocked that she actually said yes. “Great!” He exclaims, after a moment of floundering. “Okay, I’ll tell Tony, and, um, we can see if he can get a workstation for you to design things at?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “As in, a computer?” MJ asks, tilting her head, curiously. “Are you sure? I do much better on paper…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “I’m sure. You’ll do great. You’re a really good artist, MJ,” Peter compliments her, blushing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     Damn it, Parker. Keep that up, and the rating of this fic is going to go up real quick. MJ just grins at his praise, showing him her sketchbook, carefully skipping the many pages filled with his face and body, except the ones where he’s fully covered by the Spider-Man suit. Of course, he’s not the only thing she draws. There are plenty of landscapes of the city, and of random people she’s seen around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     On one page, an action illustration of a Spidey swinging through Queens with a different suit than the one he actually has, MJ watches as he presses his finger to the page, tracing the lines. “Um… do you want that one?” MJ asks him, quietly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “A lot,” Peter nods, eagerly. “I would love it. Can I get it framed? It’s so cool, MJ,” he grins, and her heart flips as she finishes her ice cream. It seems like it’s going to thud out of her chest at his approval.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “A big Spider-Man fan, huh?” MJ teases him, but when she notices that panicked little look he gets, like he’s scared she’s onto him, she calms his nerves with a “don’t worry, I am too.” Except, it doesn’t calm his nerves. If anything, he gets more nervous, because she just told him that she was a fan of his. </span>
  <span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I um- yeah,” Peter nods, agreeing with her, but having trouble forming a substantial statement. Probably because he’s too busy staring at her face, looking absolutely besotted. Michelle blushes at the way he’s looking at her, looking down at her ice cream so she doesn’t miss the container when she takes her next bite.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     A little while later, they’re done eating, and Peter offers to walk MJ back home. And, well, there’s an issue with that. See, her physical form doesn’t have a home. There’s really no point to one- it’s only ever in this plane of existence long enough to go to school, do her homework, and make sure it’s ready in her locker for the next day of classes. So, she has to think of a way to get out of this. Quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “Um- actually, I was thinking I could walk you?” MJ suggests, instead, after a little moment. She knows this throws Peter off- he expected her to say yes. But he still nods, and after throwing away their trash, they start walking back to Aunt May’s apartment. The one she met him in, over a year ago, when he was dying from a spider’s venom. MJ finds herself watching him again, this human who’s unknowingly managed to trap a Cosmic Entity into a physical, humanoid body. She’s in love with him. Apparently, Love is a force even Death cannot control- she’s not sure who can. And no, that’s not just the author getting philosophical, what are you talking about? Okay, so maybe she’s not in love. He’s like, 15. But she does really, really like him. And she’s definitely entranced by him. And he has kind of trapped her. That part was true. Her focus is entirely centered around him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     Sure, she can feel when other things happen in the universe, she can see what’s going on everywhere there is a cycle of life and death. She can feel the constant presence of the other Cosmic Entities. None of the other three have bodies. Why she does… that’s a good question. She has a feeling that it has something to do with Peter. And keeping him alive. She can feel how important he is. Something tells her that this kid is going to save a large chunk of the universe, one day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     Maybe she’s been staring a little too long, because, as a result of not paying attention to her surroundings, she ends up nearly body slamming into a street lamp. Yet again, her clumsiness leads her to being pulled into Peter’s arms- this time to avoid a broken nose. “Woah,” she laughs, once she’s gotten her breath back. “Sorry, I’m kind of distracted.” By you, Peter. And your stupid arms, covered in muscle and currently wrapped around her. Damn you, Peter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “I noticed,” Peter laughs, unusually confident. He gets like that after helping people as Spider-Man. Or, in this case, using his powers to save MJ from a street lamp. “Am I distracting you, MJ?” Peter asks her, looking genuinely curious. But also, probably teasing her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     Fuck it. Honesty is the best policy. “Um, yeah,” MJ nods. “You’re really distracting, Peter,” MJ admits, blushing. “I’m thinking about a number between one and a hundred. If you guess it, you get a prize.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “Um, how about… 78?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “No, sorry,” MJ laughs, shaking her head. “But you were close, so here’s your consolation prize,” she adds, after a little pout goes over his face. He perks back up, and as he does, she kisses his cheek. This, of course, makes Peter blush, which is adorable. By the time they get to May’s apartment, it’s already five thirty, so Michelle says her goodbyes so he can go patrol as Spider-Man. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am now seeking a Beta reader, if anyone is interested. Please leave a comment if you are with the best way to contact you. I mean, I think I’ve been pretty decent at catching grammatical mistakes that weren’t made on purpose, but having a second set of eyes wouldn’t hurt. </p><p> </p><p>Fair warning, it may seem like the next few chapters are just fluff, but I promise that this story does have an actual plot. I just feel like establishing their dating relationship and how they feel about each other prior to actual shit going down is important. The movies kind of gloss over Peter’s interpersonal relationships, which is fine, because they’re action movies. But I want to explore them a little bit more in depth.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Nightmares... Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>DO NOT read this chapter if you are looking to avoid spoilers completely! Michelle has nightmares of the future, or futures. it's very short, but if you do not want any spoilers as to what happens plot-wise when I handle IW, the blip, and Endgame, do not read this chapter until after you've read the IW chapter that will probably be posted in like 5 or 6 chapters (2-3 weeks at least)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I repeat, DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS FOR HOW I'M GOING TO HANDLE IW</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Michelle enjoys spending time at the Compound with Peter on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It quickly becomes part of her routine, her physical body staying for more and more of each week in the world. Soon, even when she isn’t at the compound with him, working on one project or another, she’s playing video games with him and Ned, or studying, or letting him teach her the basics of how humans understand biochemistry, or… well, you get the picture. They start spending a large percentage of their </span>
  <em>
    <span>time</span>
  </em>
  <span> together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time is a funny concept, for Michelle. For one thing, until now, it hasn’t been linear. Death has just… existed forever. The idea of linear time that most of the species and cultures around the universe seem to have is entirely constructed. Of course, MJ supposes that the time stone may be influencing these cultures into believing in linear time, and perhaps it is by virtue of a being’s aging process that they come to perceive time as linear. But, back to the point. For MJ, up until the singular point in this particular “timeline” where she decided to save Peter Parker for the “first” time, time was just a… cloud of dusty points. A nebulous, simultaneous thing. Now, though, that she’s in a human body… yeah. Thinking about it is a bit of a mindfuck, and it gives her a headache. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The issue is, MJ starts having visions. Or, rather, “nightmares,” when she dematerializes at the end of each day. During the small period between the end of hanging out with Peter and going to school in the morning, MJ sees the branching future. Sometimes it’s the fantastical, a truly out of this universe possibility like her having kids, and sometimes it’s the tragic, Peter falling to his death, getting framed for murder and killed in a police shootout, killed in a fight with a supervillain… you get the picture. Peter dies </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> in these nightmares, and somehow, these are permanent deaths, despite her presence in his life. It’s almost as if she’s seeing how or when she’ll lose control of the iron grip she has on the force of death. But, there’s one that absolutely scares the shit out of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In it, MJ watches as the universe crumbles around her, half of the souls in it gone. In a snap. Not dead, just- gone. Her soul too, somehow. At least, the one that makes Death a Cosmic Entity and not simply a Force. Well, not completely. She still exists, in a vague sense, but it’s as if she’s floating through the universe in a drunken haze, with no control over her actions and no ability to regulate the process of dying. She can’t see past this haze, into whatever future might lay beyond it, when she finally regains her abilities. It’s as if there’s something blocking her. And it is absolutely terrifying. And, somehow, she knows that this is the inevitable. She reaches out to her fellow Entities, warning them of the impending disappearance, but alas, every morning, her physical body still appears in front of the school, and every morning, she puts on a facade of being okay, of not being absolutely terrified. She pretends she’s fine, that everything is fine. No one at school seems to notice anything is wrong, at least. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>yes, that was short. and cruel. MJ Knows About Thanos.  Or at least, she knows that the snap is going to happen.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Love.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Love is a powerful force. More powerful than any cosmic entity. It's almost as if it controls the universe.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you're unfamiliar with Plato/Socrate's Theory of forms, wikipedia explains it quite well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_forms<br/>Understanding what they are isn't key to understanding the chapter, but it might make some of the more philosophical passages a bit easier to comprehend.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There’s this bible verse. It’s in the first letter from Paul to the Corinthians. Michelle isn’t Christian, or even religious, but this verse is probably the best descriptor she’s ever found of the most powerful force in the universe- more powerful than even the Cosmic Entities themselves. It isn’t a personified force, either. There is no entity controlling it. There is absolutely nothing controlling it, it simply exists. Love. It’s a funny thing, it draws beings together to form entirely new beings, it breaks beings apart, creates family units, causes selfless acts… there is nothing more powerful in the universe. And the verse 1 Corinthians 13 describes it like this:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelle is certain that Love is indeed the greatest force in the universe. She believes that it draws people together whose fates are intertwined. Even Death cannot stop Love. She is certain that this force of Love is what keeps the universe running. Paul was onto something, in this letter. Perhaps he had truly seen a glimpse of the form of Love itself. Perfect love. It certainly feels like, as time passes, Love is what drew her to Peter Parker. Maybe it is finally her turn to experience such a great force, to get a glimpse of the Form of Love. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The reason MJ feels like this is probably due to a few things. Namely, the weekly Friday game nights that become routine for her to share with Peter and Ned, along with the twice weekly afternoon study sessions, and the twice weekly compound visit. Pretty soon, at least Monday through Friday, there isn’t a single afternoon she doesn’t spend time with him. Eventually, it becomes routine for her to stay for dinner with him and May, and then let him go on patrol (no, he still hasn’t told her about being Spider-Man, but she knows nonetheless), while she and May bond over books and art. Usually, Peter makes up some excuse about needing to go to Ned’s for something or another, or he claims he’s going to the library to work on something for his internship. They’re shitty excuses, but she doesn’t care. Soon, she realizes she loves May too, looking up to the woman. MJ doesn’t have a mother, or any parents at all, and she’s never known the powerful force of motherly love until now. Love, it turns out, has many Forms that all add up to the eternal, unyielding force.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One day, May sits down with her on the couch, and she doesn’t take out a book like she normally does. Instead, she folds her hands, looks over at MJ, and informs Michelle bluntly that: “MJ, honey, I know you don’t have a home to go to when you leave at night, and that nonetheless you don’t need a place, but I just want you to know that this can be your home for as long as you allow it to be, sweetheart. You don’t have to stay the night, if you don’t want to. If you do, though, you can use Peter’s bottom bunk. I’ve talked to him about it, and we agree. You’re part of our family, honey.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May…” MJ trails off, her brain running a million miles per hour. How does she explain not needing a place to stay? Moreover, how does she explain disappearing at night? Will she continue to disappear if she’s staying here? Or will being in such close proximity with Peter so often mean her essence becomes more and more physical, her center of focus cementing itself on Earth? After a few moments, MJ nods, acting relieved. “Thank you, May, I- I don’t have much,” she sighs, looking down at her clothes. “I keep most of what I do have in my locker…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, honey,” May shakes her head. “Don’t worry about all that. I’ve been meaning to take you out on a girls’ shopping trip anyways. You have the winter formal coming up, remember? If you want to go, that is,” she adds. When MJ nods, indicating that she does want to go, May continues with, “Well, I know it’s girls’ choice and all, and you can’t ever let him know I told you, honey, but Peter really wants to go with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Peter.. with me? Like, as friends in a group with Ned?” MJ asks, confused. Peter doesn’t… he’s not interested in her in any other way. Right?</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, honey, as a date,” May chuckles at her, shaking her head. MJ sits there for a minute, shocked. A date. With Peter. Peter wants her to ask him on a date to the Winter formal. Peter likes her? Like that? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” MJ breathes, after a moment, nodding. “Okay, a shopping trip sounds fun. Thank you so much, May. You have no idea how much this means,” she smiles, her eyes tearing up. May brings her into a hug, and Michelle… Michelle breaks down right there, sobbing. May thinks of her as family, and she’s just… overwhelmed by how much she loves her found family: May, Peter, Ned, and even the AcaDec team. MJ would do anything for all of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That first night, May takes her to the grocery store while Peter’s out, getting her some basic toiletries, like face wash, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and hair products. May is probably the nicest, most caring person in the world, and this is reflected in how she doesn’t question how MJ manages to stay clean without owning any of these items. She doesn’t question why MJ might not have something, she just… buys it anyways. Luckily, Target is open late, so they go and get some basic clothes for MJ to wear. MJ ends up walking out of the Target with a couple pairs of jeans, some basic T-shirts, two sets of pyjamas, and a few sports bras and pairs of underwear. Getting a real bra that fits her properly that she can wear under her (still unbought) dress to the formal will have to be another shopping trip. But May assures her that they’ll go as soon as MJ asks Peter to the formal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Peter gets back from patrol, at nearly one in the morning, both she and May are asleep on the couch in their pyjamas, having stayed up waiting for him. She wakes up when Peter picks her up, glancing over at the couch to realize he must have already taken his aunt to her bed. But she doesn’t give away that she’s awake, her heart rate staying the same as it had been when she was asleep. He carefully tucks her into the bottom bunk of his bed, making sure she’s wrapped in a blanket and her head is on the pillow. It’s… incredibly tender, for a teenage boy. Apparently, he showered before he moved them, because he smelled nice and clean when he picked her up. It was really nice to be cradled in his arms. MJ falls back asleep as he climbs up to his own bunk and passes out. </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Moving in with Peter confirms what she feared: the more time she spends with him, the less time she spends without a body in her natural state of formless, shapeless, massless, infinite expansiveness. But, as it turns out, she doesn’t really mind spending more time in a body. It takes some getting used to, and she has to buy actual clothes instead of manifesting a new set each day, because  she wouldn’t be able to explain that to May and Peter, but overall, having a body 24/7/365 is nice. She learns about skincare with Peter, who apparently has a secret obsession with it. She learns to bake with him, too. She learns about how healthcare professionals save people from her reach through May’s crash course to nursing. You get the picture. It’s nice, being cared about every day. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>if you know how to make something display as a block quote on AO3, please let me know. <br/>Also, my tumblr is the same as my username. just in case you want to scream at me there.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Nightmares... Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A lil bit of Peter's POV. Just a lil.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Peter’s not going to lie, having MJ stay with him is weird at first. Mostly because he doesn’t really understand where her clothes were coming from at school if she didn’t have any belongings? And also, he doesn’t really get how she keeps buying his excuses to go on patrol. And, to be honest with you, he’s a teenager. A hormonal teenager. And having a girl sleeping in his room on his lower bunk bed gives his overactive subconscious so much ammunition to pour into his dreams, which means more frequently than not, he wakes up and immediately runs to take a shower in the morning, before she wakes up.</p><p>	For the first few nights, despite his overactive imaginative subconscious, Peter gets better rest than he’s gotten in a really long time. He starts to hope that having another person in his room is what’s gotten rid of his nightmares. But, alas, the fourth night since MJ moved in with them, Peter wakes up screaming again, hyperventilating and shaking, all of his senses completely overwhelming him. Curling into a ball, Peter puts his hands over his ears and screws his eyes shut, trying to block out the sensations of the world around him. </p><p>	What Peter doesn’t count on is MJ climbing up the ladder to his bunk and taking him into her arms, pulling him against her chest and pressing his ear right over her heart. What he doesn’t count on is MJ combing her fingers through her hair as she breathes deeply and slowly, modelling what he needs to be doing. What Peter doesn’t count on is how powerfully relaxing her heartbeat is, and how soothing her fingers are in his hair. </p><p>	With MJ holding him in her lap, Peter manages to catch his breath, his breathing steadying out as he starts crying into her shirt. If he wasn’t so upset by his nightmare, he’d be incredibly embarrassed, because his face is technically pressed against her breast, so he can hear her heartbeat louder than anything else around them. But he isn’t embarrassed. It’s so nice to be held, and Peter lets himself just cry it out, taking his sweet time to calm down. MJ keeps stroking her fingers through his hair, and it’s nice that she isn’t judging him for his nightmare or passing him off on May to deal with it. </p><p>	Eventually, Peter is calm enough to pull away from MJ and mumble an “I’m really sorry for waking you up, Em,” only for her to shush him and hug him again, shaking her head. </p><p>	“You have nothing to apologize for, Peter,” Michelle informs him, adding, “I don’t need much sleep anyways. You’re fine,” she shakes her head, and all Peter can think about is how lucky he is that he has her as a friend. He really, really hopes he never does anything to mess that up. </p><p>	“Thank you, Em,” Peter sighs, hugging her back, relaxing in her arms. “I had a really bad nightmare,” he confesses, even though he’s pretty sure she already knows. “I felt like I was trapped and I- it was just really terrifying.”</p><p>	“It’s okay,” MJ shushes him, combing her fingers through his hair. Peter can feel himself melting into her at the feeling. It’s so relaxing. “I’m sure it was really awful. Being trapped sucks. You’re safe now,” she promises him, laying down slowly, with him in her arms. Oh. This is great. Amazing, even. Peter finds himself nodding off again as she continues to comfort him. Soon enough, he’s out like a light, nestled in her arms.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Idk how many chapters there are going to be from Peter's POV, but I felt like this was a good point to insert this one because it shows them very clearly bonding emotionally.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. chocolate shampoo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>the first day of their adadec regionals trip</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Michelle didn’t know what to expect when Mr. Harrington told the Acadec team that they were going to have a competition in Pennsylvania, but this definitely wasn’t it. The bus is cramped, sweaty, and hot. It’s gross. MJ feels like she’s in a gross, BO-filled swamp. Really, she shouldn’t be surprised, but she is, because it is hot as FUCK and the bus’s AC isn’t working. When the bus stops for gas, MJ is the first one off, going into the convenience store for candy and a soda. She takes her time, considers buying the whole team deodorant, and then decides against that, because she can stick it out for another hour. Look, next time they decide to do an out of state trip, MJ’s going to suggest they use their funding to buy plane tickets. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By the time Peter and Ned get into the store, MJ’s already picked her candy and her soda, and she’s at the checkout counter, handing over a few ones to pay. She joins them, once she’s paid, her drink in her hand. Ned can’t decide between getting a Reeses or a cookies n cream Hershey’s bar, and Peter seems to be debating between the giant bag of jolly ranchers (oh god, she’s going to have to deal with a sugar high) or a bag of sour patch kids. “Reeses. Jolly ranchers. You’re sharing, Peter. Come on,” she nods her head towards checkout, so that they can get there before the rest of the class does. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Surprisingly, neither of them argue, and soon they’re back on the bus. This time, MJ sits in the very back, despite being team captain, because she’s tired of drilling everyone and she’s gonna take a nice, long nap sitting against the window while they talk. It’s a squeeze, but they all fit in one row, with Peter in the middle. Okay, so she and Peter are sort of on top of each other, but it’s fine, because it makes it easier for her to nap when her head isn’t getting rattled by the window and is instead laying on Peter’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ned and Peter talk in hushed tones about a project Peter’s working on for his internship. It’s some sort of genetic engineering project, but that’s all MJ really understands. Ned’s telling Peter how to create an algorithm to randomize the nitrogen bases used per amino acid or something, and… she’s out, her cheek squished against Peter’s shoulder and one of her arms (embarrassingly) wrapped around him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>MJ wakes up when Peter shakes her, because they’re getting to the hotel the team is staying at for the night before the competition. MJ had insisted on it, because driving straight to an early morning competition is HELL and she isn’t going to do that ever again. And, the hotel is close to the amusement park and really, really nice (thank you, mysterious grant from Stark Industries). Also, the competition is using the conference rooms, because most schools would be letting their kids go to the park afterwards. Once Mr. Harrington checks everyone in and hands out room keys, everyone goes to their rooms. Since there are an odd number of students (11, because they have two alternates), Mr. Harrington put her with Ned and Peter, after making sure it was okay with their parental figures. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The moment MJ puts her overnight bag down on the bench in the room, she turns to one of the two beds, flopping into it and closing her eyes for a moment, until Peter wrinkles his face at her and reminds her, “MJ, ew, we’re all sweaty, we need showers. And we still have to go to dinner with the team.” You know what, he’s right, but it’s still annoying to get up. Seeing her annoyed face, the boys hold up their hands. “You can go first,” Ned offers, elbowing Peter because he doesn’t want MJ to murder him in his sleep (not like she’d EVER do that). Peter nods in agreement, stepping aside for her to do so. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Michelle humphs, but does grab her bag and take it into the bathroom, showering as quickly as she can in the amazingly nice shower using the provided CHOCOLATE scented shampoo and conditioner (and oh my god, it smells like it was sent from heaven). Oh my god, her whole body smells like chocolate afterwards. It’s fucking amazing. Her mouth is watering now. MJ quickly gets dressed and puts her hair in a bun, not having the energy to do anything else, then wraps her old t-shirt around it so it can absorb some of the water. She steps out of the bathroom and lays down, and Ned goes in after her, apparently having won some sort of candy-eating related bet with Peter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Peter asks her, coming over to put a hand on her forehead. Great. He thinks she’s acting weird. Just what she needed. “MJ, you have a fever,” he informs her in this worried, concerned tone. Hold up- can she even </span>
  <em>
    <span>get </span>
  </em>
  <span>sick?! What the hell? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re joking,” MJ rolls her eyes, pulling the blankets over herself, only for Peter to stop her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I’m serious, Em, you’re burning up.” OH fuck. NO. Not before a competition, she isn’t. Peter sighs, looking at her face for a moment before going over to Ned’s backpack, digging through it until he finds the little first aid kit Ned brings on overnight trips and taking out the ibuprofen, bringing it over to MJ and making her take it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You do </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not</span>
  </em>
  <span> mention this to the team, Peter. You understand? I can’t have them thinking their captain is sick right before regionals.” MJ wrings her hands, sitting up in the bed and trying to think. Fuck! How the fuck is she sick?! Maybe her body is getting too human. Maybe she’s becoming too corporeal or something. MJ closes her eyes, laying back for a second. A moment later, she disappears. When she reappears on the other side of the bed a minute later, Peter is pacing on the ceiling, muttering “holy shit MJ just disappeared holy shit where did she go oh my god Mr. Harrington is going to kill me what am I going to tell May-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Parker,” MJ says, a little forcefully. He startles, falling headfirst towards the floor- but catches himself on his hands and lowers himself down to his feet before standing up. MJ can’t help but laugh. “So, you’re Spider-Man,” she concludes, to distract him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“MJ!” Peter exclaims, sighing in relief and rushing over to hug her. “Oh my god, I thought you were gone or something and I couldn’t understand what was going on and you were over there and now you’re here and I was so scared that you were hurt and-,” he rambles, not letting go of her. At least, not until her words catch up to his brain and he goes to deny it. “Wait, no, wait, I’m not Spider-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Can it, Peter. You were on the ceiling. I saw you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter sighs, running his hand through his hair nervously before pulling away from her to nod. “Um, I am Spider-Man, and we really need to figure out what just happened to you because I never want it to happen again because I was so scared you were just gone and that you’d never come back and I-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine, Peter. You have your powers, I have mine. I know how yours work already, but I only know how a few of mine work. The rest are kind of… tangential, I guess.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You have powers?! That’s so cool! Can you-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t ask. You don’t need to know. They’re really confusing for me, and I’ve had them for years, so-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So we should figure it out! Together!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>No.</span>
  </em>
  <span> No, Peter,” MJ exhales through her nose, shaking her head. “I don’t want to explore it further than I already have.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter looks a little hurt, but he nods, sitting down on her legs over the blanket, feeling her forehead again and then sighing. “You still have a fever. So, whatever your powers are, Em, they aren’t protecting you from this.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>MJ sighs with him, taking his hand away from her face. “I know,” she shakes her head, curling into a ball. “It’s terrifying. I’ve never been sick. Ever.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ever? Like, not even a cold?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ever. I’ve never been sick.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We need to call May, MJ,” Peter shakes his head, taking his phone out as he starts pacing again. “That’s bad. That means there’s something really wrong, MJ.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter, Peter-” MJ grabs his arm to stop him in place. “Peter, listen to me. We’re not calling May. Put the phone away. I’ll be fine.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“But what if-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>MJ shakes her head. “Fine, Peter. I’ll be fine.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” He nods, slowly sitting back down on the bed. “So you can teleport, then?” He asks, after a minute. MJ sighs. He’s not going to be satisfied until she tells him </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> about her powers, so she nods.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I can manipulate my body’s position in space and time,” she explains, slowly. “And I can manipulate space and time themselves. Sometimes. And matter, energy, and light, though I don’t really enjoy it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Holy shit,” Peter breathes out, looking at her in awe. “That’s- MJ, that’s incredible. That’s- oh my god,” he sits down, trying to think of what her power set- if she’s telling the truth- means for what they know about relativity- both general and special. And what it means for him. After a moment, he asks her, “Em, are you actually serious? Because, like, that would make you basically all-powerful, and if so, why are you here and not- mmph,” he grunts, surprised by her kiss. Good. That was her goal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop analyzing it, Peter. Trust me, you’ll be a lot happier if you just file it away. I’m not all-powerful,” she shakes her head, combing her fingers through his (gross and sweaty) hair. Okay, so she’s lying to his face, because she might as well be. Look, she can’t like, suddenly decide to condense everything with mass in the entire universe until it all becomes one big black hole, and she can’t create any infinity stones on her own, and she can’t directly create living creatures. Yes, she can create life forces, but the molecules that make up the creatures have to be there first. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You kissed me. And you have powers,” he states, looking at her in awe. “You kissed me,” he repeats, then leans in, kissing her again. And again. And again. By the time Ned gets out of the shower, his shirt is off. Peter quickly scrambles away before Ned leaves the bathroom, grabbing his bag and brushing past Ned before Ned gets to tell him about the chocolate body wash. Ned looks over at MJ, and she knows he’s noticed how swollen her lips are from the way he quickly looks away, going over to get his Switch lite out of his backpack and play on it on the other bed, asking after a moment, “So, Um, I’m gonna take this one, and you and Peter are gonna share?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” MJ confirms, checking his expression to make sure he’s okay with that. When Ned nods, MJ smiles at him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Please don’t um- do anything while I’m in the room.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god, Ned. I’m not going to try anything with Peter while you’re right here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, good,” Ned nods, going back to his Switch.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter emerges from the bathroom a few minutes later, wearing his Midtown t-shirt and a pair of shorts. “Man, I’m starving,” he complains, grabbing his phone and his web shooters to put in his pockets. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>MJ rolls her eyes and gets up, offering Ned a hand up too. “Okay, let’s go to dinner, then” she suggests, checking her watch. “The team will probably be there by now,” she shrugs. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peter consumes a ridiculous amount of pasta during dinner. When they got back to the hotel room, MJ had been intending on texting the team about getting a good night’s sleep, but she’d ended up falling asleep over the covers of the bed before she’d even gotten a chance. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>tbh idk if i like this chapter but it's what my fingers wrote so... idk. please constructively criticize. i beg u. pls criticize it bc there's something off and i can't figure it out.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Regionals and Rollercoasters and Romance, oh my</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>uh, rating change due to some swearing and some allusions to sex/sexual activities. No actual sex.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>So, here’s the deal. MJ has prepared her team very well for the competition. So well, in fact, that they’re tied for first when it comes down to the last question: “Angle A and angle B are complementary angles. If angle A measures 27º, what is the measure of angle B?” Really, anyone could have answered this question. It’s easy, they learned it in like, fifth grade. But surprisingly, it’s Flash that dings the bell to answer with, “Sixty three degrees.” And just like that, they’ve won regionals. So, for the second year in a row, they’ll be going to nationals. The team celebrates by changing into casual clothes and going to Hershey theme park, and MJ and Peter somehow end up alone together. Her fever was gone when they’d woken up for the competition, and so far, she feels fine now. 
</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, we won,” Peter smiles at her, his knuckles brushing hers as they walk around together. She can tell he’s excited from the way he’s bouncing up and down a little in his shoes, and from the way he keeps looking down at the map and then back up at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” MJ smiles back, looking at him for a moment. “Thanks for uh, not bailing this time.” He hadn’t bailed at states either, a few weeks ago. Technically, states happened during the summer. So far, this year is looking up for them. Junior year might actually go well for once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harsh, MJ,” Peter laughs, bravely intertwining their fingers. “So, um, wanna ride a rollercoaster?” MJ feels like she’s already on one, holding his hand. In public. Wow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um, sure,” MJ nods. “There’s really not much besides rollercoasters here anyways,” MJ shrugs, and Peter looks down at the map in his hand, before he turns them in the direction of the nearest coaster. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes of walking, Peter asks, “So, um, can you transport more than just yourself when you do that whole… disappearing thing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t tried it,” Michelle shakes her head, looking curiously at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter persists in this line of questioning with, “do you want to try it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh. He’s asking if he wants to try it with him. No, that would be an awful idea. “Not with a human, no, it could kill them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter looks disappointed when he says “oh. What about, like, a mouse or something?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, maybe,” Michelle agrees, just to placate him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter thinks about it for a little, contemplating her powers. MJ can see the figurative gears turning in his head. Finally, he asks, “if you can manipulate spacetime, does that mean you can do basically whatever you want?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh, Peter, honey, you have no idea. “Yep, pretty much,” MJ confirms, smiling at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter looks down at his shoes, seeming self-conscious. “Then… why are you here? On the decathlon team with us? Going to high school?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not exactly sure,” MJ admits. “I feel like there’s something drawing me here. This is where I need to be right now.” Yeah, he’s drawing her here. She needs to be here because of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter nods, then goes quiet until they get in line. Suddenly, he turns to her and blurts: “do you wanna go to the back to school formal with me?,” then covers his mouth, looking like he’s about to turn into a tomato. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A slow, hesitant grin spreads over MJ’s face. “That would be really nice, Peter,” Michelle agrees, squeezing his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter sighs in relief, and MJ’s heart swells a little. “I- I was planning on asking you during the fireworks. But then I just- I kept thinking about how amazing you are and I wanted to make sure I asked you before anyone else did and I-”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t have said yes to anyone else.” MJ’s eyes crinkle a little at the corners with how she’s smiling at him. Wow, he’s adorable. MJ’s free hand makes a fist, then releases it, trying to calm her anxiousness. “So, um, does this mean you’re my boyfriend? I don’t know if May’s going to be chill with that, considering our uh, living situation.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter opens his mouth. Then closes it. Then opens it again. Then closes it again. He’s a little shocked, clearly. Finally, he opens it to say: “I don’t think May will mind. We can tell her. If, um, you want me to be your boyfriend. I’d like that,” he smiles at her, a little awkwardly, and MJ’s heart does a flip in her chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d like you to be my boyfriend, yeah,” MJ smiles at him, taking the map from him to put it in her bag before she takes his other  hand to hold it too. Then she realizes they’re holding up the line, and they have to shuffle over a little bit to let more people in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Luckily, the wait times for all the rides are relatively short. The team stays for the late night park attractions, and by the time everyone’s back in their hotel rooms, MJ’s thrumming with a low excitement. Ned insisted on getting food from the cafe in the hotel before bed, so the three of them stopped there on their way. Now, Ned’s the first one in the shower, again, so MJ and Peter are taking advantage of the small amount of privacy to do what MJ’s been waiting for all day- make out in bed. It doesn’t go beyond hickeys and light touches over their clothes, but it’s the most thrilling thing they’ve ever done in their short existences in these bodies. Neither of them is particularly good at it, of course, but MJ’s pretty sure that the main reason she enjoys it so much regardless is the excitement of kissing someone she’s got a massive fucking crush on. </span><span><br/>
</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>They don’t get beyond making out, at least not that night. They each shower individually, then they go to sleep. In the morning, the class goes to the Hershey museum for the morning, before getting on the bus to go back to Queens. Something has changed. MJ and Peter sleep in the same bunk most nights, after that. They go to the formal together, too, a week later.</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>May never says anything about their bedsharing, but one day they get home from school and find a box of condoms on the nightstand, with a note from May telling them that she hopes when they feel ready to take that step, they’re careful. It’s awkward, of course, but MJ just brushes it off with a laugh, putting them in the nightstand. They’re not at that point, yet. It’ll probably be a while before they are. Especially with the sense of foreboding MJ’s been getting lately. Something’s off in spacetime.</span>
</p><p><span><br/>
</span> <span>Somewhere far away in the galaxy, Thor finds himself on a strange planet in a cage suspended from the ceiling with a skeleton in it.</span></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>... anyways my tumblr url is the same as my username. Please scream at me there. And in the comments. I love comments. getting a comment is like eating a really good cookie.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. End.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It starts with a low humming in the background. MJ’s pretty sure no one can hear it or feel it, but she can feel it. Vibrations. Shifts in the fabric of the universe. Tears. Something is messed up. Something is wrong. But no one else can feel it, so despite MJ’s fears, she keeps quiet. Pretends everything is fine. She develops a low grade, persistent fever, like the one she’d had before their competition, but she can’t do anything about it. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
  <span>And then she can’t ignore it anymore. She can’t pretend everything is fine, because she can feel it. The death of Asgard. No, not Ragnarok, though she felt that too. No, she feels Asgard get systematically wiped out. Half of the tiny remaining population is slaughtered. She can feel the opening in the bifrost that brings someone back to Earth. This is it. This is what leads up to the visions she’s had, she’s sure of it. And she’s sure that no matter what she does, it will not be enough. She can’t heal the tears in the fabric of their universe alone, and the other Entities seem to be doing fuck-all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Let’s take a step back. MJ’s feeling all of this in the back of a school bus, where she would normally be sketching on their way to MoMA for a school trip. But no. Instead, she’s panicking, because this can’t be it. This can’t be the end. Something drew her to Peter, told her to keep him alive, so why the fuck is this happening now?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Then, Peter’s swinging away from the bus, towards a massive fucking spaceship descending on the city. Idiot! And she can’t even fight, not in the traditional sense. But that doesn’t stop her from following him, a phantom next to him until he finally lands in a park, materializing next to him. Stark is saying something to him, and she has the distinct impression that no one can see her anymore, for some reason. And there’s something about a space guy stealing a wizard’s necklace? And then, all of a sudden, Peter’s attached to the outside of a spaceship leaving the atmosphere, and he’s quickly losing oxygen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>When he falls, Michelle panics. There is no way he could survive this. Until he does, and manages to sneak into the alien spaceship in his new suit. MJ loses track of what’s happening, for a moment, and all of a sudden, she’s on another planet, Titan. They’re waiting. MJ turns, and she sees it. The time stone. The sorcerer supreme is using it to meditate. She forces herself into a human body, even as it feels like her human body is incredibly ill. Moving feels like trudging through tar, but MJ manages to say, “I need the time stone,” as she materializes next to Peter, panting. “Fuck, why does it feel like I’m about to,” MJ starts to complain, and then she can’t complain anymore, because she’s too busy throwing up pure stomach acid. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“MJ!” Peter exclaims, his arms around her before she can collapse, her legs too weak to hold her up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“The time stone,” she mumbles, “I need it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Like hell you need it, you’re a teenager,” Tony rolls his eyes, looking over at her. “Wait a second, how did you even get here, Monet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“She can teleport,” Peter blurts, his arms still holding her up. MJ groans, pressing her forehead to his shoulder for a moment, before she reaches out her hand towards the stone. But it’s too late, because Strange wakes up, tells them that out of all the billions of scenarios, they win in only one, and that Thanos is coming. By the time Strange tells them the plan, MJ is flickering. “I’m sorry. Something’s wrong,” she tells Peter, her voice fading in and out with  the rest of her body. “I can’t stay. I love you, Peter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“MJ-” Peter protests, but it’s too late. Her body doesn’t exist anymore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snap. All she can do is watch from afar as the life in the universe is halved. As half the life simply ceases to exist, neither dying nor living. She can’t check on the stones, she can’t control anything that occurs at all. She can’t regulate the process of death and  dying, she can’t keep a balance like she used to. It’s like everything is just… gray. She can’t see the colors she used to, either. Everything is muted. She tries, for the first part of this new existence, to zoom in again. To focus on Earth, to see if her friends still exist. If Stark still exists. If Pepper still exists. But soon, she forgets their names. Then, she forgets Peter’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>But, although she forgets his name, she doesn’t forget his face. His essence, what drew her to him in the first place. No. Over time, Michelle even forgets her own names. MJ, Michelle, Em, they all fade away. A deep sense of grief overwhelms her existence, mourning that which she does not remember. It’s horrifying, being conscious, yet lacking a body, a name, or a purpose. Eventually, she forgets who she is altogether. She doesn’t remember being Death, or creating the infinity stones with her brethren, or using them to create the universe. Her entire existence just becomes this deep, immovable mourning. Because although she’s forgotten who </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> is, she never forgets the essence of the being that calls her to him. She never forgets the pain of that essence leaving existence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Snap.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Mwahahahahaha</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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